Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1887-07-28

can be obtained BY allowing grass to |
remain till the seed is ripe or at least |
fully formed. before it is cut The |
seed Of several kinds of grass is quite |
heavy. Grass gains in weight after the |
stalks have attained their full height.
Matured grass contains woody fiber
and less water than that which IS inn
mature 1t is also quite easy 10 cure
in good weather, as there is compare
lively little moisture to eyaporate. Its
keeping qualities are good. The hay
made from matured grass is not likely
to become moldy. If it is not bright
i'm color it is sweet. and devoid of a
musty smell. Most persons who buy
timothy hay for feeding to work ami
mails prefer that which was made from
grass that was we'll matured when it
was cut. They state that it was nearly
all eaten and digested. They regard
hay made from immature grass as too
laxative for horses that are kept ut
steady work. Farmers who raise hay
! for the market will find it to their adj
vantage to supply the article that buy
ers want. They will have more tons
of hay to sell from given number of
acres if they delay harvesting till the
grass is quite well matured.
For milch COWS there is no doubt
about hay made from unripe or imma-
| mre grass bong the best. 1t is more
| like the Grass they eat in the pastures
| during the summer. 1t is easy to mas
ticate and easy to digest, while it will
produce a large amount of good milk.
| Mich COWS take little exercise during
iI. g, Il.
! solid food as work horses, mules, and
oxen do Hay made from grass at full
blossom has an agreeable aroma and
! flavor, which are conveyed to the milk
| given by the cows that eat it. Dairy
men prefer hay made from early cut
grass Such hay is also preferable tor
all kinds Of growing stock. Animals
/ should have tender hay to eat during
| their first winter Their teeth are not
strong. and their digestive organs have
not attained their full power Colts
and calves will gain but little if hay
made from mature grass is their only
or principal food They will reject
much of this kind of hay, and q large
proportion of that which they do eat
! will not be digested. They will thrive
best on early cut hay and rowen. If
these prove to be too laxative they pre-
fer bright straw to hay made from grass
that was cut when ripe
Most forage plants are nearer stage
of perfection at the period Of full bloom
than ut any other time. The blossoms
themselves form valuable food. being
sweet and aromatic Forage plants
are generally in full foliage when they
are in full bloom Their stalks are
then comparatively tender Seed
forms ut the expense OF sap contained
i'm the stalks and leaves. As the bios
SONS disappear the stalks begin to
grow hard, and the leaves 10 turn
yellow or fall of. Nearly all medicinal
plants possess their highest value dur
ing the period of poisoning, and
that is the time recommended for
gathering and drying them. Most
plants used for making hay will gain
in weight if allowed TO remain some
time after they have blossomed- but
the gain in quantity is generally alta loss
in quality. There is no advantage in
securing more tons of hay from a
given field if large proportion Of it Is
rejected by all kinds of stock or is eaten
and cured mt the time 1t possesses the
greatest feeding value, and this will
| generally be ut the period of blossom
ing,
! ii a farmer has very large amount
OF cultivated grass il may be impossl-
BILE to cut it an when it is in the best
condition. He may be obliged to let
some of Il stand until it is nearly ripe
before he can secure it. He can gem
orally use it to good advantage for
feeding TO his work horses. If grass is
b unusually heavy it is best to cut and
cure it before it lodges. even II 1t Is not
advanced to perfect blossoms. Grass
and clover that have blown down and
B been brought in contact with the
) ground makes very poor hay The
= leaves are likely to become moldy and
! to be injurious to stock. The stalks
will have yellow color and DIS,
agreeable taste. Lodged grass and
clover are very difficult TO cut with q
machine or a hand-seythe. They arc
also hard to cure. and furnish very
poor food after .n ! have been put III
. the barn or stack 1t is much easier
! TO harvest two crops of grass or clover
1 that are in an upright position than one
= that is blown down, the stalk being
! broken and tangled Now that NOV
/ iue-machine~ and horse-rakes are II
I general use, the labor of making hay Il
light if the plants that are to he eat arr
a standing in their natural position.
Rich and tolerably moist land
I'm favorable seasons, will offer
furnish two crops Of hay. 1t general,
viii if it produces "a variety Of grasse
and clovers. \ rich and moist ~oilwil
e produce large and coarse plants if they
q are allowed to grow till they reacl
& maturity. and the hay made from then
:. will not bc relshed by milch cows %
< Young animals. If there are two cut
tinsr. instead Of one, o large amount @
4 fine and tender hay can be secure,
@ that will be very desirable for milcl
cow, and young stock ut very Kind
{, 4 thick sod Of fine grasses can h
q secured by frequent cutting. Il III
II moving field i. to be converted into
IA u..tllre Ii is desirable to cut the gUaS